Immunisation

General practice has an important role in immunisation through support of the implementation of government initiatives, including those aimed at limiting childhood vaccine preventable disease transmission in the community. We have just received the calculated immunisation rates for the February 2008 quarter and practices within North West Slopes Division are at an amazing 94.5%! This is the highest rate amongst Divisions in NSW and Australia. The dedication and commitment of general practice teams in our Division to the health and wellbeing of our children is indeed commendable!!

Goals

  1. Promote and support best practice immunisation processes within the Division
  2. To improve the childhood Immunisation rate of the North West Slopes Division area
  3. Promote and assist general practices register for the General Practice Immunisation Incentives (GPII) Scheme
  4. Promote and assist general practices accessing and transferring data to the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR)
  5. To achieve and maintain best practice in cold chain procedures

The Division is supporting GPs and practice staff in their important role in promoting and performing immunisation through education, support in the maintenance of cold chain and vaccine storage. The Division also works closely with the Hunter New England Area Health - Public Health Unit to provide up-to-date and relevant information on immunisation issues to GPs and staff within general practice.

Recall/Reminder System

The Division, in collaboration with Hunter New England Health's Public Health Unit, provides Practices a list of children due/overdue for immunisations on a monthly basis. This information comes directly from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR). Practices are asked to assist by:

  • Checking patient records against the list of due/overdue children
  • If the child is not recorded as being immunised in your files, please take some steps to contact the parent/guardian to enable the overdue vaccines to be given
  • If the child has already been immunised please advise the date/s the vaccination/s were given
  • If the child is no longer attending the surgery or has left town please advise this information on the overdue list also
  • If a child's name is repeatedly on the overdue list please try to contact their parent/guardian to remind them that their child's immunisation/s are overdue or make a note that this child cannot be contacted so that they can be referred to Community Health

Practices that provide updates on the reports assist in ensuring that our Division's immunisation rates continue to be above 90%.

Education

Education sessions are regularly provided to update GPs and Practice Nurses (PNs) on changes to the Australian Standard Vaccination Schedule, medico-legal issues in immunisation, new vaccines, travel vaccinations reporting processes to the ACIR, improving immunisation coverage rates, correct cold chain procedures and information on immunisation accreditation courses and requirements to maintain accreditation.

Assistance with the GPII and ACIR administration and reporting

The General Practice Immunisation Incentive (GPII) Scheme provides financial incentives to GPs who promote and provide age appropriate immunisation services to children less than 7 years of age. A Service Incentive Payment (SIP) is paid to GPs who notify ACIR of vaccinations that complete an age-appropriate schedule. Practices can also receive quarterly outcomes payments if their practice is achieving an immunisation coverage rate of over 90%. ACIR information is used to determine the immunisation status of children and accordingly, amounts paid under the GPII scheme.

Practice Visits

The Division provides one-on-one support and education to general practices that focus on ACIR administration and reporting requirements and can assist in improving immunisation coverage rates, and therefore, increasing GP income derived from improved outcomes under the immunisation incentive program (GPII). Some of the topics covered during a practice visit may include:

  1. Submission of information to the ACIR, including using the Internet for these processes
  2. ACIR forms and procedures
  3. Requesting and using ACIR reports to increase immunisation coverage rates e.g. GPII Practice Report
  4. Opportunistic immunisation
  5. Patient recall/reminder systems

Maintaining the Cold Chain

The "Cold chain" is the system of transporting and storing vaccines within the safe temperature range of 2ºC to 8ºC. Two essential elements of the cold chain system that ensure vaccine recipients receive potent vaccines are:

  • vaccine storage and distribution; and
  • transporting and monitoring of vaccines

How can you ensure a safe vaccine environment?

Practice visits are an opportunity to provide education and information on storing vaccines and managing the cold chain. The Division offers the practice a temperature data logging service for their vaccine fridge to determine the effectiveness of cold chain maintenance procedures. The fridges are logged for one-two weeks and a report is produced to the practice giving feedback about the results with any recommendations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jodie Westhorpe at the North West Slopes Division of General Practice (Tuesdays and Wednesdays) on 02-6766 1394 or email: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Peter Massey at Hunter New England Population Health in Tamworth on 02-6767 8630

Useful Links

ACIR List of reports available

The Australian Childhood Immunisation Register produces a series of statistical, identified and access reports for immunisation providers who are registered to use the ACIR secure internet site. This is a summary of the reports available.

Centre for Disease Control and Prevention - Travellers Health

All you need to know for international travel

Immunisation and ACIR

Immunisation and Australian Childhood Immunisation Register

Immunisation for Prevention and Protection - HNEH

Hunter New England Health Immunisation Website

Influenza Vaccine Order Form 2010

NSW Health website with information regarding the National Influenza and Pnuemococcal Immunisation Program for 2010 and the Influenza Vaccine Order Form for 2010

Roster Billing and Centralized Billing for Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccinations

This article published by Medicare Learning Network has information for physicians, providers and suppliers submitting claims for influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations

Resources

Document Name Document Type Document Size Download
Advice on use of pandemic & seasonal influenza vaccines in children (current 26/08/10) PDF Document This pdf is 160kb Download
Rotarix Statement for Immunisation Providers (updated 29 March 2010) PDF Document This pdf is 28kb Download
Seasonal Influenza Vacination 2010 PDF Document This pdf is 362kb Download
Medicare Quick Reference Guide to Part B Immunisation Billing PDF Document This pdf is 225kb Download
Pertussis Outbreak - Free Vaccine Order Form & Information PDF Document This pdf is 215kb Download
Vaccine Order Form 2010 PDF Document This pdf is 30kb Download
Vaccine Fridge Suppliers PDF Document This pdf is 40kb Download
Twice Daily Cold Chain Monitoring PDF Document This pdf is 68kb Download
Transporting & Storing Vaccines from the Chemist - Patient Information PDF Document This pdf is 182kb Download
Pre-Vaccination Checklist PDF Document This pdf is 22kb Download
NSW Immunisation Schedule July 2007 PDF Document This pdf is 86kb Download
National Vaccine Storage Guidelines “Strive for Five” PDF Document This pdf is 1MB Download
How to Pack a Domestic Fridge (Poster) PDF Document This pdf is 300kb Download
Common Observed Reactions to Vaccines PDF Document This pdf is 1.1MB Download

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